Shockingly High: Income Needed To Live Comfortably In Texas Is Astronomical

Do you feel like your Texas lifestyle is a "comfortable" one?

I suppose that depends on what you view as comfortable. For me, it's being able to pay the rent and the bills without stressing them, treat myself occasionally to new clothes or going out to eat, and take a simple vacation once or twice a year.

However, for our purposes, we need more concrete qualifications for "comfortable". In one study, it was an income ratio of 50/30/20—50% for necessities, 30% for discretionary spending, and 20% for savings.

And I just realized my "comfortable" didn't account for savings. Whoops. I'm sure some of you can relate.

So how much money do you need to make in Texas to be comfortable? It's eye-wateringly high— $87K. For one single person. Now imagine the amount for a family of four.

Of course, this amount will vary by a couple of factors: exactly where you live in Texas and what your expectations are.

If you live in Austin and expect a nice house with new vehicles, you might be disappointed unless you are fairly wealthy. If you live in a small town and are pleased with a modest house and a used car, your "comfortable" amount may be much lower than $87K.

How does Texas compare to other states?

We are actually on the lower end. Some states, primarily on the West and East coasts, are in the income triple digits. The highest is Massachusetts at $116K.  That's even higher than Hawaii or California. Woof.

The lowest is West Virginia $79K. Not that much of a difference, so I'll stay in Texas.